Council to spend £1m on leisure centre solar panels

The solar panels would save the leisure centre £53,000 on their yearly utility costs

Almost £1m is set to be spent on installing solar panels on a leisure centre in the hopes they will reduce the cost of electricity use by a third.

The installation of solar panels on the Riverside Leisure Centre in Norwich is part of a city council drive to cut carbon emissions.

A grant of £520,000 has been secured by City Hall to go towards the scheme, alongside £375,000 being contributed by the council in borrowed funds.

The energy-saving installation is one of four carbon reduction projects planned by the council.

Run by Places Leisure Limited since 2013, the centre is said to have "bounced back" after it had to close during Covid lockdowns.

It says the numbers of members has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

The council estimated that by using solar panels, £53,000 could be saved on the utility costs of the leisure centre per year.

This project is one of four carbon reduction projects in the pipeline at City Hall, which has been facing "huge financial pressures".